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Or maybe even longer was that seemingly slow-motion split-second before he got nailed by a Shea Weber point-shot from close range.

The Calgary Flames winger came through on multiple levels in last night's 3-1 win over the host Nashville Predators, snapping a 14-game goal slump and giving the Flames a 1-0 lead around the halfway point of his 200th NHL game.

The goal also paced the Flames to first place in the Northwest Division.

Piling on in the final seconds of the middle period, Olli Jokinen ended his own 11-game goal-less stretch with less than 18 seconds left on the clock in the Music City.

Needing every bit of that two-goal edge, a less-than-inspiring third period from the visitors gave the Preds a chance to battle back until Daymond Langkow potted an empty-netter to guarantee a fifth-straight Flames victory.

"We played well for two periods. They made a good push, and we sat back a little in the third -- which you don't like to do. But on the road, we'll take the two points," said Moss, who battled in front of the net along with linemates Dustin Boyd and Eric Nystrom to get things going offensively for the Flames after taking physical punishment from the Preds early.

"Thankfully, they didn't blow the whistle. We could see (the puck) -- it was loose," Moss continued. "It was one of those things where it took a while to get to it.

"Ny got a shot, and he was whacking away. Boyder got a piece of it, and it just popped to me.

"It's nice to get the goal -- and, hopefully, keep rolling here."

As nice as his seventh score of the season turned out to be, his courage for moving in as Weber uncorked one of his patented slapshots shouldn't be ignored.

Taking away one of the Predators' best scoring chances of the game, it wasn't a painless effort.

"It hurts," Moss said with a sideways grin. "He can shoot a hockey puck. I was hoping he would hit me in the shin pad, but he caught my foot. It got me in a good spot, at the top of the ankle, so it only stung for a sec.

"As far as feet go, it's in a good spot."

With his 11th goal of the year 19 seconds before the final buzzer, Langkow got to celebrate for the first time in nine games, although his offensive opportunities have been on the rise while playing with Jarome Iginla and Curtis Glencross during the current winning streak.

"It's kind of been like that the last three or four games -- it just hasn't been going in," Langkow said after taking five shots on Preds goalie Dan Ellis in the first period alone before depositing his sixth into the open net late.

"I think the main thing is we're creating chances. If we keep doing that, eventually we'll get rewarded."

Rewarded last night for a response to physical play by Weber and Ryan Jones --watching from the stands, Chicago Bears quarterback Jay Cutler must have been happy he wasn't the one taking hits for once -- the Flames overcame the early challenges and a late powerplay goal from Patric Hornqvist to head into tonight's game against the Minnesota Wild in St. Paul as the Northwest Division leader.

"It's a huge win any way you look at it," said Flames head coach Brent Sutter, who called a late timeout to rally the troops.